Reviews for Rustica in Kalamazoo, MI
Was visiting from Denver and asked our client to pick their favorite local, independent restaurant for dinner. They introduced... us to Rustica. A cozy, warm atmosphere that invited great conversation. The waitress Casey was unbelievably welcoming, kind, andpatient. She helped us pair menu items and create cocktails. The food was such a treat. I had the seafood spaghetti and tomatoburrata salad. Fresh, on point and just….perfect. The owner carried out food over to the table to be served and really showedhis passion for foodservice. An industry I care so deeply for. I could write a whole paragraph on the coconut cake alone. Onpoint. Thank you to the team at Rustica for great company, food and more. A night to remember and will hold a special memoryfor me. Read more
Date night Friday night: Wrong bottle of wine: ordered a $60 bottle of 2019 Beaujolais (by the correct bin number 312) received... 2018 Burgundy Bad communication between server and chef: duck and hanger steak (both ordered without deviation, per the chefsrecommendation) delayed, apparently by server error, but didn’t really make sense. And nobody ever explained further. Dinnerservice: duck was raw and inedible, sent back and replaced with a less raw duck, and mostly left uneaten. Adjustment to thecheck: $0 $175 meal plus $25 tip Read more
Our party of four have dined there before. Everything from appetizers through dessert was perfectly prepared. Entrees included... steak, quail, and vegetarian dishes. The wine selection was extensive too. Read more
Good service and good atmosphere but the seafood was a big miss: the taste of the mussels with the dashi was overwhelming, with... mediocre seafood pasta and underwhelming dry salmon. The bone marrow was also mediocre and swimming in added butter but littleflavor. Also the strawberry ice cream had absolutely no berry in it - just plain flavored ice cream. Read more
Service 3.5 Friendly but unimpressive Food presentation 4.5 Decent for the price Food quality and flavor 2 The duck was chewy... and had a hint of something off. The flavor was dependent on the sauce that was poured over the entire plate. Some lightseasoning could have gone a long way. The mushroom fondue was ok. Too much cheese, not enough mushrooms. The dominating flavorswere of cheese and peppers, completely overpowering the subtle flavor of mushroom. Atmosphere 2 Two things immediately caughtmy eye. 1. We were eating on a giant piece of brown paper.. (and they didn't provide crayons or peanuts /s) 2. The sign on everytable letting you know that you must not stay for longer than 2 hours. I'm sorry, but any fine dining restaurant worth its saltunderstands that a good meal is a journey that is not rushed or timed. How can anyone consider buying one of their obnoxiouslypriced wines with a limit of 2 hours. While the Barolo that was on the menu may have been a good vintage, it's not hard to finda good one for 1/4 the price. Value for the money 2 The ok food and table flipping atmosphere really kill any chance ofgreatness here. If you want to have a nice meal and feel as though you are getting what you paid for, I recommend you lookelsewhere. Read more
Enjoyed Father’s Day dinner here with my family. This was my first restaurant experience in Kalamazoo since dine-in options... reopening. Service was a tad slow, but the place was extremely busy. However, the wine, spring pea soup, New Zealand lamb,seafood pasta, and coconut cake were of the highest quality and taste! I ordered the lamb but was able to try some other disheswith my family. Fantastic flavors and elegant ambiance. A must try if you are in Kalamazoo! Read more
The appetizers and entrees are delicious. The desserts aren't worth ordering and they need to hire a bartender who knows what... they're doing. This place is a little pricey but for an interesting dinner, it's ok. I've been twice and probably won't return. Read more
It was my birthday and we reserved on Yelp was seated immediately for the time we reserved had a nice cozy table. As small as... the place was it was perfectly seated and not loud due to sound dampening which is nice. The food was impeccable. We had firstsof squash soup, kale salad, deconstructed salad, charchutere board, bread, with a bottle of Spanish wine, our main courses werethe duck, two chicken plates, lamb shank, and the wagu steak. For dessert we had the brownie, ice cream, tiramasu, and theapple crisp with french pressed coffee. We were a party of 5 and Carol was our waitress and she knew the menu which is alsonice. All in all a great meal and will definitely will be back. Read more